Dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means



Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. POTTS DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYING MEANS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6. 1951 FIG. I.

FIG.5.

INVENTOR Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. POTTS DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYINGMEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6 1951 PIC-3.6.

F I6. 7A.

FIG. 7.

INVENTOR United States Patent DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYING lVIEANS Roy C. Potts, Winter Park, Fla.

Application February 6, 1951, Serial No. 209,605

7 Claims. (Cl. 224) This invention relates to devices for carryingpackages and the like by means of a looped-strap and with the packagesecured to the pendant portion of the strap by a fastener elementconnected to the strap.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a simplecarrying means for packages and containers in which a looped-strapmember may be hung upon the shoulder, arm, or hand, and, by means of afastener member connected to the pendant portion of the looped-strapmember, a package, to which the fastener member is attached, may becarried.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that is simpleof construction in its various parts and that may be assembled manuallyor mechanically.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby two ofthe package carrying devices of my invention may be connected togetherto provide a dual carrying means with which two separate packages may becarried by looped-strap members pendant from one or both shoulders ofthe carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide shoulder shields or padswhich may be securedto the looped shoulder-strap and in combination withit serve to distribute the load over the area of the shoulder covered bythe shield. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an interconnectingneck-encircling looped-strap threaded thru a slit in each of theshoulder shields which limits the outward movement of the said shields,one from the other, and likewise the dual-looped carrying straps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wearresistant surfaceon the inner ply of the looped-strap thereby increasing its strength anddurability in the region Where the strap is attached to the fastenermember.

A further object of the invention is to devise various methods ofattaching the fastener member to the packages or containers.

The practicability of my invention and its many distinct and peculiaradvantages will be further obvious and best understood by referring tothe following detailed specifications of certain preferred embodiments,taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of my invention in operativeposition upon the shoulders of a person using it.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of one form of a loopedstrap secured to afastener element.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my device which shows the variousmembers comprising it in a connected relation to each other and to twopackages suspended from the pendant ends of the looped-straps.

Fig. 3 is a two-legged fastener element of my Patent No. 2,463,306.

Fig. 4 is a one-legged fastener element of my application Serial No.145,442, filed February 21, 1950, now Patent No. 2,690,867.

Fig. 4A is a modified form of Fig. 4 and is Fig. 5 of my applicationSerial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, now Patent No. 2,690,867.

Fig. 5 shows a preferred form of a blank for a shoulder shield.

Fig. 6 shows a close perspective view of the shoulder shield with thependant looped shoulder-strap and an inter-connecting neck-encircling,closed looped-strap secured thereto.

Fig. 7 shows the pendant portion of the looped-strap with a reinforcingWear-resistant member applied over the inner ply of the looped-strap inthe area where it is connected to the fastener element.

Fig. 7A shows a cross section of Fig. 7 on line 7A-7A.

Fig. 8 shows the pendant end-portion of the loopedstrap of Fig. 1A incross section.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the fastener element of Fig. 3attached to a container wall and a reinforcing inner ply of materialclamped between the legs of the fastener element and the inside surfaceof the container wall.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the attachment of the fastenerelement to a container having a strap of steel, wire, or other materialextending across a wall of the container.

Fig. 11 shows in perspective a method of creasing the closed top of agusseted bag and of attaching a fastener element to it by illustratingthe lines of creasing and folding the bag; the placement of asupplementary reinforcing member which is infolded within the foldedarea of the bag; and, the securement thereto of the fastener element.

Fig. 12 shows in perspective an alternate method of folding the closedtop of a fiat-wall bag by illustrating the lines and areas of foldingthe bag; the placement of a supplementary reinforcing member which isinfolded within the folded area of the bag; and, the securement theretoof a fastener element.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I show in perspective the various parts of thedevice comprising my invention, arranged and connected together, toprovide a dual carrying means, shown generally as 1, in place upon theshoulders of the person using it. The fragmentary sections of the trunk,neck, shoulders, and arms of the person using it are letteredrespectively as A, B, C, and D. The two loopedrstrap members of mycarrying means are shown as 2 and 2, respectively; the inter-connectingneck-encircling loop-strap member as 3; the fastener elements as 4 and 5respectively; the two packages or containers being carried as 6 and 7;and, the shoulder pads or shields as 8 and 8. Throughout the drawingsand this specification, like members represent like parts or members.

Fig. 1A shows a preferred form of a looped-strap in which the separatependant ends of the strap are each separately connected to the fastenermember, 2 being the looped-strap and 5 the fastener member.

Fig. 2 shows the assembled parts of my dual carrying means connectedtogether for use, like parts and members being given the same numbers asin Fig. 1. Each part or member of Fig. 2 will now be fully described.

The looped-strap member 2 may be a closed loop of the type of member 3or it may have closed loops at each end of it as shown in Fig. 1A andFig. 8. I form the looped-strap by laminating together strips ofreinforced tape-strap. A preferred type of tape-strap for use in makingmy looped-strap has at least one of its surfaces coated with anadhesive. A second ply is laminated to the first ply by bringing it flatupon and lengthwise of the coated surface of the first ply. But, I alsofind that it is practicable to use in the construction of thelooped-strap members 2 and 2 of my device 1 of Fig. 1, gummed coatedtape-strap which, like the adhesive coated tapestrap, is reinforced byfilaments or threads of fiber such as rayon, nylon, Fiberglas, and thelike which generally lie closely adjacent and parallel to each other andrun lengthwise of the strap and are themselves adhesively secured to thesurface of at least one ply of the tapestrap. In fact, the reinforcingfilaments or threads are actually imbedded' in and lie under an adhesiveor gummed coating on the ply of flexible sheet material that forms thebacking or base material sheet of the tapestrap. By forming closed loopsin each end of the loopedstrap as shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 8, or, byoverlapping the ends of the tape-strap and laminating them together, acompleted looped-strap is made. By this simple operation and method oflaminating several plies of reinforced tape-strap into a multiply closedlooped-strap or open looped-strap with closed loops at each end of it,it is possible to manually make the members 2 and 2 and 3 of Fig. 1 alsomember 2 of Fig. 1A of my invention.

In one method that I employ, I fold a length of tapestrap approximating36 to 40 inches in length upon its median lengthwise line to form atwo-ply looped-strap of either the closed-loop form or with closed loopsat each end of it. Another practicable method of laminating three pliestogether consists of using as the center ply a single ply of tape-strapthat is adhesive or gummed coated on both of its surfaces and thenapplying the other two plies to the first ply with one on each of itscoated surfaces. The outer plies may be uncoated strips of tape strap ofany selected material that has the desired characteristics, such aswater resistant, wear resistant, etc. Obviously, the methods describedfor the formation of the looped-straps of both the forms described maybe employed when commercial equipment and methods are used. The parts ofFig. 2 denoted by the shoulder shields 8 and the fastener elements 4 and5, also, the methods of applying the fastener elements 4 and 5 to thepackages 6 and 7 will be later described in detail as the separate Figs.3 to 12 inclusive are explained.

The inter-connecting neck-encircling looped-strap member 3 of Fig. 2 isa completely closed loop which passes thru a longitudinal slit in eachof the shoulder shields 8 and also passes over and around the portion ofeach of the dual-looped carrying strap members 2 which are threaded thruthe two transverse slits shown as 11 and 12 in Figs. 5 and 6.

The neckencircling looped-strap, in operative position, lies in apractically horizontal plane extending from the top of one shouldershield to the top of the other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Also, in Figs.1 and 2 is shown the pendant operative position of the looped-strapmember 2 which hangs downwardly and somewhat outwardly from the shouldershield in practically a vertical plane from that portion of the shouldershield into which it is threaded.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of a two-legged fastenerelement of my invention which is covered by Fig. 1 and claim 6 of U. S.Patent 2,463,306and is fully described therein.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one form of a one-legged fastenerelement which is shown as Fig. 1 of my copendapplication, Serial No.145,442, filed February 21, 1950, and is fully described therein.

Fig. 4A shows a modified form of Fig. 4 and is Fig. 5 of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, and is fullydescribed therein.

Fig. 5 shows a preferred form of a somewhat elongated shoulder shield orpad 8 of Figs. 1 and 2. In it 16 is a blank of a somewhat pliable sheetmaterial, such as B-flute sheet of corrugated firbeboard with die cuts13 and 14 made from opposite sides and terminating in the slots 11 and12 respectively which are parallel and are spaced apart so that adesired portion of the blank lies between the die-cut slots 11 and 12and is substantially the width of a persons shoulder. The length of theslots 11 and 12 is slightly greater than the width of the loopedshoulder-strap 2 of Figs. 1 and 2. A slot 15 is die cut in the blankabout mid-way of the space between the slots 11 and 12 and insubstantial parallel alignment with the slit-lines 13 and 14. A slit 16extends from one end of slot 15 to the adjacent parallel edge of theblank 10. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the looped shoulder-strap 2 may beinserted through the cuts 13 and 14 to lie in the slots 11 and 12, andthe inter-connecting closed looped-strap 3 may be inserted through slit16 to lie in slot 15.

Fig. 6 shows the inter-connected arrangement of the looped-strap 2 andthe inter-connecting neck-encircling looped-strap 3 and theirinner-locked positions in the slots 11 and 12 and slot 15 respectivelyof the shouldershield and how they hold it in rather permanent positionupon the top of the shoulder of the person using the carrying device ofmy invention.

The placement and horizontal position of the closed loop neck-encirclingstrap is shown in Figs. 2 and 6. It will be noted that it encircles theneck from the upper and lower topmost. surfaces of the shoulder shieldsand lies in a plane substantially coincidental with a horizontal planeresting on the uppermost portion of each of the shoulder shields.

Fig. 7 shows the application of a short length of a reinforcing ply 21to the inner surface of the looped-strap 2 in the region of the foldedpendant end-portion of the looped-strap into which the fastener element4 is connected to it. It is in this area of the looped-strap, andparticularly within the folded end of the looped-strap where thefastener element lies, that the greatest stress, strain, friction, andwear on the looped-strap occurs. Therefore, the application of an innerreinforcing ply of a tough wear-resistant material tends greatly tostrengthen the looped-strap at this point.

Fig. 7A shows a cross section of Fig. 7 taken on line 7A7A. Parts 2, 21and 4 of Fig. 7A correspond to parts 2, 21 and 4 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the closed-loop end of the looped-strap2' shown in Fig. 1A and has an inner ply reinforcing member 21 which, byits length, tends to limit the inner circumference of said loops.

Fig. 9 shows the application of the fastener element of Fig. 3. The legsof the fastener element 4 are inserted through the container wall justunder the lower edge of the inner-ply reinforcing strip 42. Thus, withthe lower edge of the inner-ply reinforcing strip resting upon the wallpenetrating base member of the fastener, and its opposite edge abuttingthe opposing wall of the container to which the first mentionedcontainer wall is hingedly connected adjacent the line of abutment ofthe said reinforcing ply, the first mentioned wall is relieved of asubstantial part of the load or stress that would come upon it at thepoints of insertion of the legs of the fastener element 4, were it notreinforced by the inner-ply reinforcing and weight relieving strip 42.

Fig. 10 shows the application of the fastener element 4 to a containerhaving a strip of tape-strap, steel-strap, wire, or other materialextending across the surface or wall of the container and/ or boundaround it or adhesively at tached to it. In Fig. 10, the legs of thefastener element are not inserted through the container wall, for actualpenetration of the container Wall by the legs of the fastener element isnot necessary for the legs of the fastener element are passed under andaround the strip of strap material which is bound around the containerand extends across one of its Walls. In a similar manner, not shown, theleg members of the fastener elements of either Fig. 3, Fig. 4 or Fig. 4Amay be passed around a cord, rope, or other material tied or boundaround the container or package or adhesively secured to it and thecontainer or package may be carried by a looped-strap connected to thefastener element.

Fig. 11 shows a method of infolding certain segments of a gusseted bagaround a supplementary reinforcing strip 52 and the securement theretoof the fastener elements of either Fig. 3, Fig. 4, or Fig. 4A. Thesupplementary reinforcing strip 52 comprises a narrow strip of ratherstiff sheet material such as a narrow strip of solid fibreboard of adesired length. The first fold is made by laying the reinforcing strip52 along the top side wall edge of the bag with one edge of thereinforcing strip even with the top edge of the bag and then folding thetop of the bag and the reinforcing strip over on line x-x. Then, asecond folding is made on line yy to line zz. The legs of the fastenerare inserted thru the wall of the bag at points c and e on line zz whenthe fastener element of Fig. 3 is used, or thru the wall at point d whenthe fastener element of Figs. 4 or 4A is used. Always, the fastenerelement is inserted thru the walls of the bag from the opposite side ofthe bag so that its legs lie upon the infolded segments and tightlyholds them and the reinforcing strip in close contact with each otherand with the walls of the bag through which the fastener element isinserted. Thus, the stress on the walls of the bag, caused by the weightof its contents when carried by the attached fastener element, will becarried by those portions of both walls of the bag which lie adjacentthe fold lines xx and yy and overlies both of the edges of thereinforcing strip 52.

Fig. 12 shows an alternate method of infolding the top of a fiat wallbag. Here, the corner portions of the fiat top of the bag are bothinfolded on lines aa and b-b. Then the reinforcing strip is applied asin Fig. 11 and it and the top segment of the bag adjacent to it arefolded on line x-x to lines yy. Then they are again folded on line y-yto line z-z. The fastener element is then inserted in the same manner asexplained above for Fig. 11. The methods and results in both cases arepractically the same.

While I have described certain specific embodiments of my invention, Ido not intend to be limited to the precise details disclosed herein butonly as set forth in the subjoined claims which are to be broadlyconstrued.

What I claim is:

1. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means for carrying packages andcontainers consisting of five cooperating and coacting independentelements adapted for manual assembling without mechanical means for useas a carrying means, comprising a pair of dual-looped shoulder carryingstraps, a neck-encircling closed looped strap and a pair of shoulderpads or shields, each of said shoulder shields cooperating and coactingwith the neck encircling strap and one of the dual-looped shouldercarrying straps, said shoulder shields each comprising an elongatedstrip of somewhat pliable sheet material of greater length than widthand having three die-cut slits in it each continuous with a slottherein, two of said slits being rightangular to their respective slotsand each of said slits entering from an opposed elongated end of thesheet material near a lateral side of the sheet through which the thirdslit enters obliquely and forms an acute angle with its continuous slot,the three slots each being substantially parallel to the end or sideedge of the said sheet through which its continuous slit entered, thefirst two slots described being spaced apart at opposite ends of theelongated sheet and parallel to each other and substantially at rightangle to the third described slot, each of the dual-looped shouldercarrying straps of said pair being interconnected with a shoulder shieldby passing through the pair of first described slots in said shouldershield, the neck-encircling closed looped strap being inter-connectedwith each of the shoulder shields by passing directly through a lateralor third slot in each of said shields, the said slots in the said pairof shoulder shields providing a cooperative means which connects andestablishes coaction of the neck-encircling closed looped strap witheach strap of the pair of dual-looped shoulder carrying straps.

2. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engagedwithin the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carryingstraps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to aseparate package or container.

3. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1 wherein the inter-connecting neck-encircling closedloop strap lies substantially in a horizontal plane coincidental with ahorizontau plane resting on the uppermost portion of each of theshoulder shields.

4. In a dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1, the combination of two independent coacting elements,as described, comprising a shoulder shield and a dual-looped carryingstrap having a pendant loop engaged with a looped fastener element, thesaid combination comprising a carrying means unit adapted for thecarrying of a package or container to which the looped fastener elementis secured.

5. In a dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1, the combination of two separate looped-strap carryingunits, each composed of a shoulder shield as described in said claimwhich coacts with a dual-looped carrying strap having a pendant loopengaged with a looped fastener element which provides means forattaching said fastener element to a package or container, each of saidseparate carrying units being inter-connected to a shoulder shield asdescribed in said claim and each of said pair of shoulder shields beinginterconnected with the other shield by means of a closed looped strapand each of said separate carrying units being adapted for use incarrying a package or container that is entirely separate and apart fromthe package or container carried by the other unit.

6. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engagedwithin the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carryingstraps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to acontainer having flexible walls and having coincidental perforations intwo opposite walls, the said looped fastener element having at least oneleg adapted to be inserted through said perforations in said walls andto grip together the infolded walls of the container and a reinforcingply strip around which the walls of the container are infolded.

7. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character setforth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engagedwithin the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carryingstraps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to acontainer having perforations in at least one of its walls and a ply ofreinforcing material located on the inner surface of said wall andextending at least from said perforations in said wall to the upper edgeof said wall and perforated to coincide with the perforations in saidwall, the said looped fastener element having at least one leg adaptedto be inserted through said perforations in said wall and saidreinforcing ply and to grip and clamp them together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,511,259 Braden Oct. 14, 1924 1,618,435 Jacobs Feb. 22, 1927 1,689,051Richardson et al Oct. 23, 1928 2,485,720 Elliot Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGNPATENTS 2,832 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1906 205.706 Switzerland Sept. 16,1939

